Marlowe ditches its ‘unsolicited’ takeover bid of Restore August 10, 2021 Business services company Marlowe has today announced that it has withdrawn its takeover bid for fellow data services firm Restore after the companies could not come to an agreement. The board of Marlowe said it still believed that the deal would have been “strategically compelling,” but that the “offer price that would be required to secure [...]
Marlboro maker Philip Morris offers £1bn for British inhaler company August 9, 2021 Philip Morris has upped its bid for respiratory drugmaker Vectura to over £1bn as the takeover deal, which is being “closely monitored” by the government, has raised public interest questions. Philip Morris International (PMI) raised its offer to £1.65 per share, valuing Vectura at £1.02bn, after private equity firm Carlyle made an offer of £958m [...]
Rentokil’s shares soar as it ups dividend by a third following strong performance July 29, 2021 Pest control and hygiene group Rentokil Initial reported a strong performance today in its 2021 interim results, and announced they will increase dividends by over a third. The British company will up dividend payments by 38 per cent to 2.09p per share, raising the amount payable to shareholders to £38.9m on 13 September. Proving services [...]
US law firms in the UK raise bonuses in battle for staff July 28, 2021 UK legal companies have been forced into a bidding war for junior associates employed by top-tier US firms. Top US law firm Goodwin Procter is offering sign-on bonuses to its London staff worth up to £36,000, according to a recruiter, City A.M. understands. Last week Slaughter and May announced that it would increase pay for [...]
Ecotricity makes fourth takeover bid of Good Energy for £60m July 22, 2021 Ecotricity has made a new higher offer in its takeover pursuit of fellow green energy supplier Good Energy, after a series of rejected offers since June. The latest cash offer, announced this morning, is at 340 pence per share, valuing the Chippenham-based company at around £59.5m. It marks a rise on Ecotricity’s initial indicative offer [...]
Cognizant acquires data specialist TQS Integration July 21, 2021 Cognizant announced its acquisition of Irish data intelligence firm TQS Integration, the fifth deal of 2021 for the global consultancy as it boosts its industrial data arm. The deal, announced yesterday, is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021 and will see Cognizant further develop its presence in Ireland. It is the latest [...]
Zoom to buy Five9 for $15bn in largest acquisition yet July 19, 2021 Zoom announces a $14.7bn deal to buy a cloud-based call center operator in its largest-ever acquisition, as competition in the video conferencing sector intensifies. Synonymous with the pandemic, Zoom has been a clear winner since everything from business meetings, classroom lessons and even office ‘drinks’ went virtual via the video conferencing platform. The California-based company has [...]
Exclusive: Financial services deal making climbing back up after subdued 2020 July 13, 2021 Deals in the UK financial services sector more than doubled in the first half of 2021, compared to the first six months of last year. Professional services giant Ernst & Young told City A.M. today that the UK financial services industry saw 121 deals in the first half of this year compared with 57 during [...]
Philip Morris to buy British inhaler specialist Vectura for £1bn July 9, 2021 Cigarette maker Philip Morris International will buy Vectura Group, a British pharmaceutical company, in a £1.05bn deal as it expands beyond tobacco, and into inhalers. Vectura had already agreed to a £958m deal with Carlyle Group in May but said it had withdrawn its backing for the offer which would have given shareholders 136p per share, [...]
Spire Healthcare delays vote on £1bn Ramsay takeover as investors voice concerns July 7, 2021 Spire Healthcare delays vote on £1bn Ramsay takeover as investors voice concerns